In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the U.S. intelligence services, endorsed Russia's main justification for invading Ukraine. Moscow claimed that Ukraine was operating U.S.-funded biolabs to create bioweapons similar to COVID-19, prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine to protect his country. However, these labs are part of an international effort to control outbreaks and prevent bioweapons.
Gabbard, a military veteran and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, clarified that she wasn't accusing the U.S. or Ukraine of wrongdoing but was expressing concerns about safeguarding the labs. Her comments, seen as echoing Russian propaganda, have raised alarms among U.S. lawmakers from both parties.
